The brainchild of alto saxophonist/composer Cassie Kinosh, SEED Ensemble is 10-piece collective melding R&B, dance grooves with urban, African, and Caribbean roots and classic post-bop jazz, formed in 2016. In February 2017, the group took part in an extensive residency at Foyles Bookshop in Charing Cross, London where it performed original compositions along with collaborators in the visual arts, vocalists and spoken-word artists.
Out of this multi-media gathering, Driftglass was born. The ensemble’s debut was released in 2019, the record received high marks from both critics and well-established musicians like Greg Osby. Featuring the award-winning track (2018 British Composer Award 2018 for Jazz Composition for Large Ensemble) “Afronaut” and seven other tracks, the album also features guest appearances from Xana, Cherise-Adam Burnett, and Mr. Ekow. All About Jazz calls it “an untrammeled wrap-around delight” while The Guardian hails the sound, “young jazz from old souls.”
Afronaut